Dental appliance.



' No. 851,735. PATENTED APR. so, 1907.

- c. M. DOWELL.

DENTAL APPLIANCE.-

APPLIUATION FILED .JULY21. 1906.

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CHESTER M. DOWELL, OF ELKI-IART, INDIANA.

DENTAL APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Application filed July 21, 1906. Serial No. 327,189.

To rtZZ ZUhOTVb it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER M. DOWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elkhart, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dental Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dental appliances and more especially to devices for obtaining the true bite of the jaws of a patient preparatory to the manufacture of the plates for false teeth.

As a rule dentists have to rely solely on their observation as to whether or not the patient is giving a true bite into the wax which forms the negative or pattern from which the mold is constructed, and as the patient is usually laboring under excitement, the bite is seldom normal. Thus when the plates of teeth are completed they do not conform to the normal bite of the patient and require reconstruction.

The present invention is designed to obviate the above named disadvantages by providing a device that will correspond to the occlusion of the jaws and which will yield to any irregular movements thereof, so that after a number of successive bites the true bite may be obtained; means being provided for registering this true bite and thus when the plates and teeth are completed and placed in an articulator, the true bite of the patient may be transferred to the articulator.

For a further understanding of the details of construction, merits and advantages of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device applied. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the parts in locked position.

Making renewed reference to the drawings, wherein like characters of notation indicate corresponding parts, and reference being had thereto, 1 designates one of the plates of the appliance and 2 designates the other plate. These two plates are connected together by a spring hinge 3 which consists of a wire member coiled intermediate its end with the coil located adjacent the inner ends of the plates and with its ends engaged with the plates, as at 3*, the plates being cut away longitudinally at the inner ends as at 3", so that the arms and coil of the spring may be disposed within the cut away portion. The tendency of the spring hinge 3 is to normally hold the plates separated, as shown in Fig. 1, but the plates may be readily moved toward and from each other and even given a lateral or edgewisc movement with respect to each other by virtue of this resilient hinge member, so that they will respond to any movement of the jaws, A and B, of the patient.

When the dentist is to ascertain the impression of the jaws of the patient, a quantity of wax, as shown at a in Fig. 1 is placed on the outer face of each plate 1 and 2, and the appliance, with the wax thereon, is then inserted in the patients mouth, who bites down into the wax, bringing the ends of the plates together and making the impression in the wax.

The first occlusion of the jaws of a patient may not be a normal bite dueto the excitement or nervousness of the patient, but inasmuch as the plates will yield to any movement of the p atients jaws, a number of successive occlusions may be made until the normal bite is ascertained, and when so ascertained a clamping member 4 is inserted over the end of the plates to hold them in closed position, as shown in Fig. 3. Thus the connection for the plates constitutes a universal 'oint )ermittin the )lates to move in an direction, not only laterally rectilinearly but also angularly uith respect to each other, so that if one side of the jaws of a patient meets before the other side, the plates will readily respond to the irregular occlusion.

\Vhen the true bite has been ascertained it may be retained or made permanent, so that the same action of the jaws may be ascertained at any time thereafter by operating the appli ance in an articulator. This retaining de- Vice consists of a pair of arms 77 perforated at one end, as at 6, and provided with longitudinal slots 7 a in their other end. These arms are connected. to the upper plate 1 by a thumb screw 10, the threaded shank of which has a fixed engagement with the plate 1 and extends up through the slots of the arms, so that the arms may be adjusted and clamped to the plate. Extending from the edge of the lower plate are a pair of arms 9, the ends of which are projected upwardly, as at 8, being adapted to engage the apertures 6 in the ends of the arms 7 when the plates are brought together, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

From the preceding description, it will be seen that after the true bite has been given, the arms 7 are adjusted, so as to cause the apertures therein to register with the upwardly extended portions 8 of the arms 9, so that the latter will freely move in and out of the openings; and then the arms 7 are permanently clamped in that position, and they will remain so adjusted until the plates have been made. The completed plates are placed in an articulator and the bite retaining de vice is positioned between the jaws of the same, and the operation of the articulator is Similar to the jaws of the patient, whose bite has been previously ascertained. The plates are adjusted to register accurately with the waX impression on the appliance, and inasmuch as the true bite has been obtained by the adjusting and retaining device on the appliance, the dentist may now ascertain whether the plates are of such construction as to correspond to the occlusion of the jaws of the patient, and if so the teeth are attached to the platesin the usual way.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A dental appliance comprising a pair of plates arranged one upon the other, a connection for said plates yieldingly connecting the latter at one end and holding their opposite ends normally spaced apart, a registering device ior permanently retaining the occlusion of the jaws, and a clamping member constructed and arranged to hold the said spaced ends of the plates together against the action of the aforesaid connection.

2. The combination of a pair of plates hinged together, of a retaining device carried by the plates and consisting of a pair of adjustable arms on one of said plates and a pair of fixed arms on the other plates adapted to cooperate with the adjustable arms on the first mentioned plate to retain the bite of the patient.

3. The combination of a pair of plates hinged together, of a retaining device carried by the plates and consisting of a pair of arms adjustably mounted on one of said plates and having apertures, and a pair of arms fixed to the other plate adapted to engage the apertures in the first mentioned arms, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHESTER M. DOWVELL. l/Vitnesses:

GEORGE OLTsoH, G. M. COLE. 

